Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain as seen from the north, across Dove Lake
Elevation 1,545 m (5,069 ft) AHD[1]
Location
Location Tasmania
Coordinates 41°41′4.72″S 145°57′4.59″E / 41.6846444°S 145.951275°E / -41.6846444; 145.951275 (Cradle Mountain)Coordinates: 41°41′4.72″S 145°57′4.59″E / 41.6846444°S 145.951275°E / -41.6846444; 145.951275 (Cradle Mountain)

Cradle Mountain is a mountain in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Rising to 1,545 metres above sea level it is one of the principal tourist sites in Tasmania, owing to its natural beauty. The mountain is composed of dolerite columns, similar to many of the other mountains in the area.

One of the world’s best multi-day walks starts here, the Overland Track,[2] that leads up hill and down dale through a variety of extraordinary landscapes to finish 80 km to the south at Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest lake.[3]

Contents

Access

The area around the mountain has a large number of day walks, as well as being one terminus of the Overland Track.[4] The mountain is frequently climbed by tourists, virtually year round. It is a strenuous (recommended allotted time: 6.5 hours) return hike from the Dove Lake car park. The climb up the rocky part of the mountain involves scrambling over large boulders for several hundred metres. The entire climb is exposed to any bad weather that may arrive quickly and at any time. From the summit, (where there was a trig point tower) there are spectacular 360° views, encompassing Dove Lake, Barn Bluff and Mount Ossa.

Features

Panorama from west, showing Cradle Mountain and, in the distance, Barn Bluff
Cradle Mountain seen from the south, from neighbouring mountain Barn Bluff

The mountain rises above the glacially formed Dove Lake (934m), Lake Wilks, and Crater Lake.

The mountain has four named summits. In order of height they are Cradle Mountain (1,545 m (5,069 ft)),[1] Smithies Peak (1,527 m (5,010 ft)),[5] Weindorfers Tower (1,459 metres (4,787 ft)),[5] and Little Horn (1,355 m (4,446 ft)).[5]

The mountain itself is named after its resemblance to a gold mining cradle.

Flora

The area is covered in a wide variety of alpine and sub-alpine vegetation, most notably including the colourful deciduous Nothofagus gunnii (Deciduous Beech), itself an anomaly given that most Australian native flora is evergreen, and the Gymnoschoenus sphaerocephalus (Button Grass) which dominates the alpine wet sedgelands. Some plants that grow on the mountain include the mountain buzzy, the heart berry, the alpine strawberry, the waratah, the King Billy pine and the pencil pine.

Access to the Park and region

There is a parking area at Ronny Creek, the outlet of Lake Dove, which is approximately 8 km from the national park visitors’ centre. A shuttle bus runs between the two.

In addition to getting here by private transport or by hiking on the Overland Track, there are also public bus services from Launceston and Devonport to the Cradle Mountain Visitors Centre. Many tour companies also stop here.

References

Another view over Dove Lake; the boat shed was built in the 1940s[6]

The park

Public transport access

  • Tassielink have buses to/from Devonport and Queenstown/Strahan.
  • McDermott's run buses between Cradle Mountain and Launceston (not every day)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cradle Mountain — Lake St. Clair Nationalpark Cradle Mountain und Little Horn …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cradle Mountain — ▪ mountain, Tasmania, Australia       mountain situated at the northern boundary of the 622 square mile (1,611 square kilometre) Cradle Mountain–Lake St. Clair National Park, in northwest central Tasmania, Australia. Located on Tasmania s central …   Universalium

  • Cradle-Mountain-Lake-St-Clair-Nationalpark — Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair Nationalpark Cradle Mountain und Little Horn …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park — Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair Nationalpark Cradle Mountain und Little Horn …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cradle-Mountain-Lake-St.-Clair-Nationalpark — Cradle Mountain und Little Horn …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park — IUCN Category II (National Park) …   Wikipedia

  • Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village (Cradle Mountain) — Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village country: Australia, city: Cradle Mountain (Lake St Clair National Park) Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village Experience natural wilderness without compromising comfort at Cradle Mountain Wilderness Village.… …   International hotels

  • Cradle Mountain Chateau (Cradle Mountain) — Cradle Mountain Chateau country: Australia, city: Cradle Mountain (Lake St Clair National Park) Cradle Mountain Chateau In a serene alpine woodland setting on the edge of Tasmania s World Heritage Area, Cradle Mountain Chateau is your base for… …   International hotels

  • Cradle Mountain Lodge Sheffield (Cradle Mountain) — Cradle Mountain Lodge Sheffield country: Australia, city: Cradle Mountain (Lake St Clair National Park) Cradle Mountain Lodge Sheffield Location Cradle Mountain Lodge is a wilderness retreat set on the northern edge of the World Heritage listed… …   International hotels

  • Cradle Mountain Hotel — (Крейдл Маунтин,Австралия) Категория отеля: 4 звездочный отель Адрес: Cradle M …   Каталог отелей

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”